Jeremiah 18:6, commentary and pictures

As clay lies in the potter's hand, so the house of Israel lies in the Lord's hand, under his authority to reshape the nation and his dealings with it according to his purpose. An announced judgment on a nation is withheld if it turns from evil, and promised good is withdrawn if it turns to evil and disobeys, so neither past sins condemn those who sincerely forsake them nor past virtues protect those who choose evil. The clay's place is pliability, yielding to the Master's shaping rather than directing the work or shaping itself, surrendering the whole self and will to God and letting the Spirit inspire and govern. The Potter kneads, presses, works, rests, forms, trims, polishes and fires the clay until his will is wrought out, using trials and daily conversion to break up old habits and place his own mold upon character, which is the image of Jesus. When people submit to his direction and humble themselves, he fashions them through Christ as vessels of honor fit for use, transforming character so that Christ abides within and their life draws souls to him.

God's Dealings With Israel

As clay is in the potter's hand, so the house of Israel is in the Lord's hand, under His authority to reshape the nation and to shape His dealings with it according to His purpose. The potter's work illustrates His way of dealing with His people. His dealings with a nation depend on its response.

An announced judgment against a nation may be withheld if it turns from evil, so the sins of earlier generations do not condemn a nation that forsakes them and turns sincerely to God. Promised good to a nation may be withdrawn if it turns to evil and disobeys, so the virtues of earlier generations do not protect children who choose evil. Those who follow Him in righteousness receive His promised blessings, while those who persist in their own ways show they will be unfaithful under trial and cannot be blessed. Judah was urged to return and change its ways, to stop doing evil and learn to do good, but refused and chose its own evil devices. Being in God's hands does not make the people's response irrelevant, and warnings call for heeding and turning from evil.

Yielding to the Potter

As clay is in the potter's hand, so people are in the Lord's hand to be shaped according to His purpose and authority, and the pliability of the clay shows the response required. They are to yield themselves to His shaping and to the Master's work rather than try to direct the work themselves or shape themselves. This means submitting wholly to His will instead of insisting on their own plans, allowing Him to work in and through them and to mold them after the divine likeness.

Being clay means surrendering the whole self and will to God and living in entire dependence on Him for grace and guidance. Every experience, temptation, trial, impulse, emotion and inclination is to be placed in His hands for Him to mold the character and govern what is difficult, and this surrender brings rest and peace because a person does not belong to himself. The soul is to be emptied of pride and self-sufficiency to make room for Jesus, receiving divine impressions and letting the Spirit of truth inspire and govern, with the will submitted to Christ, counsel from others accepted, and the spirit subdued. This character-building is preparation for life in God's kingdom, in which God and His angels do their part while people must zealously choose to surrender and cooperate rather than retain the mold of their own will.

Yielding requires admitting that work, ways and plans are not perfect and may need remodeling, and that what is wrong in character and way of working must be reshaped. What is needed is meekness, lowliness, less of self and humble religion, letting the Spirit melt the heart so that self is hid in Jesus, rather than protesting correction, defending self, asserting the right to remain just as one is, or insisting on one's own plans. He can do nothing for people unless they submit to His molding hand, receive counsel, yield their wills to Him and let themselves be molded and worked, and He is to be allowed to mold them according to His will. For workers in His vineyard this means being of one mind and of one judgment, ready to receive advice and to be counseled.

One who gives himself wholly to the Lord is like clay in the potter's hands: he is to remain pliable, trust the Lord to carry out His designs, and follow wherever He leads with humble, simple faith that trusts His word, while cooperating in working out salvation with fear and trembling. Refusing to be molded mars the character, for treating defects as virtues and holding to wrong tendencies, old habits and ways of working resists the change needed to form a useful character and brings deformity into growth and into God's work. Those who refuse to be clay in the Potter's hands can instead act as Satan's agents and be used by him. By submission and cooperation — giving heed to His instruction and surrendering self and will to the divine will — the Potter's hand produces a shapely vessel revealing the perfection and character He desires every human being to show.

How the Potter Shapes

The potter makes the clay pliable and then kneads, presses, works, lets it rest, and forms, trims, polishes, dries, fires, bakes and hardens it into a vessel fit for use, and God likewise molds again and again until His will is wrought out, so that His glory appears in a shapely vessel molded and polished for service. Grace and truth perfect the fashioning of the human clay for that service. The process is not single but repeated, turning the clay over and over until the divine purpose is accomplished.

God uses trials and affliction in that shaping to refine people, to reveal character, and to prepare them for His service, as kneading, pressing, drying, shaping and firing prepare the clay. Every experience, temptation, trial and impulse is material He takes in hand to mold the character.

The molding requires daily conversion that breaks up old habits, precision, moving in a certain groove, and long-cherished idolized customs, with deep heart work, repentance of sin and abandonment of self. Talking and preaching the truth does not sanctify unless its principles are brought into daily life and woven into character. Workers must therefore learn daily lessons in the school of Christ and become working agents who cooperate with God.

God is to place His own mold upon individual character and upon the church, not a human mold upon church members. Workers' own established habits and preferred patterns must not determine the character of others, but God is to impress His mold on minds, characters and the church. The shape He forms is the image of Jesus, changing from character to character to reflect Him more and more, leading away from self to oneness with Christ in whom completeness is found as the pattern.

God shapes through Christ, His grace, truth and the Holy Spirit, bringing thoughts into captivity to Christ and working love, joy and sympathy toward perfection of character, a work not achieved by human effort alone. His grace can transform rooted habits and reform character in those who place themselves in His hands. Any excellence of character or conduct comes from God, not from human ability or works. Those who humble themselves and let the Holy Spirit take possession are formed through Christ into vessels of honor, gaining spiritual, mental, physical and moral strength to influence others for good.

The Potter cannot fashion for honor those who withhold themselves, for He can do nothing for people unless they submit to His molding hand. They must receive counsel, yield their wills, and daily surrender to be formed according to the divine model. For workers in His vineyard this means being of one mind and of one judgment, ready to receive advice and to be counseled.

God alone is to shape the soul and character, and human workers cannot safely take His place because unskilled handling mars the vessel. Human hearts are in God's hands to be worked upon, while people have no right to compel belief or outward conformity. Results are to be left to God with reliance on His Word to change hearts, since force produces only hypocrisy, not sincere faith or love. A perverse, selfish will can resist the grace God provides through the Spirit of Truth, while yielded clay receives it.

The time for reform is while the clay is still being worked, for once it is baked it cannot be reshaped. Childhood and youth are therefore especially important times to correct evil tendencies and form a character God approves.

Vessels Made for Honor

As clay in the potter's hand, people are under God's authority to be shaped, and when they submit to His direction He forms them through Christ for His service as vessels of honor and vessels fit for use. Those who humble themselves and let the Holy Spirit take possession are in His hands to be transformed in character and given strength to influence others for good. He fits each person for the work and place He knows best, and resisting His will frustrates that work. He molds young people for His service, forming them into vessels for honorable use and preparing them for work suited to their abilities.

The surrendered person is fashioned after Christ's likeness and the divine image, so that a changed heart and reformed character can be seen in the life. His grace can transform rooted habits, bringing the thoughts into captivity to Christ, but this requires willingness to place self and will in His hands. All excellence of character comes from God, while selfish motives and resistance hinder His work. Through Christ the humbled and submitted gain spiritual, mental, physical, and moral strength and influence for good.

When He is allowed to take possession of the mind and shape it, and when people follow Christ's example, manners and spirit, national differences and divisions can give way to unity in judgment, purpose, and service. Differences among nationalities need not divide, for those yielded to Him can share one foundation of truth and live in the spirit of Christ and in harmony. Men and women who crucify self become as clay in His hands, accepted by Him and made vessels unto honor through whom He works His will. He gives them spiritual power, with Christ abiding in the heart to teach, lead, and guide, so their words and actions show Christ within and the power of His Spirit attends their efforts. They live the selfless life Jesus lived, their testimony is not tame but feels the greatness of saving souls, and their witness draws souls to the cross and gathers them to Christ.

This character-building is preparation for life in God's kingdom, in which being clay means surrendering one's own will and allowing Him to mold and reform character to meet His standard. God and His angels do their part, while people must zealously choose to surrender and cooperate rather than retain the mold of their own will. Because a person does not belong to himself, even difficult emotions and inclinations are to be entrusted to God to govern, placing every experience, temptation, trial, and impulse in His hands to mold the character. This surrender brings rest and peace.

For workers in the Lord's vineyard, being in His hand to be shaped means being of one mind and one judgment, ready to receive advice and to be counseled, letting themselves be molded and worked. It means learning daily lessons in the school of Christ and becoming working agents, with daily conversion breaking up old habits and long-cherished, idolized customs so God can impress minds and place His own mold upon individual character and upon the church. The shape He forms is the image of Jesus, changing from character to character to reflect Him more and more, leading away from self to oneness with Christ in whom completeness is found as the pattern. The molding is expressed in life and revealed in character through the sanctifying power of truth, working through God in ever so humble a way to present the matchless love and grace of Christ rather than planning to bring self into notice. It means laying every burden at the feet of Jesus, recognizing that health, soul, and children are all the Lord's, and ordering the family for Him with children who are a pattern of good works, which is the special work of parents connected with His sacred work.

God seeks to remove defects and reform the individual while seeking to save him, wanting to make Matteson a more useful worker if he accepts correction and lets himself be molded without abandoning his work in despair. Likewise Brother Smith Sharp's traits could be used for God's glory if he were converted and molded according to God's mind.